Sword Art Online: Lament of The Sword
by DarknessStorm
Summary: What if Marth didn't disappear after the Demon War? What if instead he isolated himself from his friends out of guilt and despair. His friends try to help him but no one can reach him except for a certain Undine player. Will Asuna help Marth move on, and why does she find herself constantly thinking about him? Now on hiatus until further notice.
1. Chapter 1: A Different Ending

**What if Marth didn't disappear after the Demon War? What if instead he isolated himself from his friends out of guilt and despair. His friends try to help him but no one can reach him, except for a certain Undine player. Will Asuna help Marth move on, and why does she find herself constantly thinking about him? Meanwhile Kirito feels guilty for Yuuki's death and thinks that he failed his best friend. Can he manage to forgive himself, or will he need the help of a certain female sniper? AU of Dark Swordsman 2, not part of canon timeline (for my stories). Main pairings: Marth and Asuna, Kirito and Sinon**

"_Italics" _– thoughts

**Chapter 1- A Different Ending**

Marth woke from a dreamless sleep and found himself under a blanket in a tent. His eyes were back to their usual blue color.

"Where am I?" he asked in confusion. "I could've sworn I was at the Shadow Fortress."

Marth then heard someone enter the tent, which turned out to be Kirito.

"Am I glad you're awake, Marth," Kirito said in relief. "You had us all worried sick."

The Dark Swordsman raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Marth asked. "What happened?"

"Don't you remember? During the fight with Zarc, you suddenly lost control of your powers and began fighting recklessly. That wasn't like you."

"I did what?" Marth held his forehead as his memory of the incident returned. "Oh my God!" he said in shock. "Did I hurt anyone?"

Kirito hesitated for a moment before saying, "It might be easier to show you. Just remember that you're not fully responsible for it, Zarc was."

Marth stood up and followed Kirito out of the tent where he was greeted by a terrible sight. Most of Tokyo was in ruins. They were just outside of New National Stadium, which was badly damaged, where they saw hundreds, if not thousands, of people either dead or injured that were by the streets, along with just as many tents trying to treat the injured.

"Oh my God!" Marth said in horror as he covered his mouth with his hands.

Kirito was torn from seeing his best friend in such pain but knew he couldn't stop. "This way," the Spriggan said. "The others will want to know you're awake."

Kirito led Marth down the sidewalk to a courtyard where their guildmates were waiting.

"Brother!" Thorrnn exclaimed in joy as she tackled the blue-eyed Spriggan into a hug, nearly knocking him to the ground.

"Thank goodness you're awake, Marth," Asuna said with a relieved smile.

"You sure know how to scare us," Klein added, who also looked relieved. "Do you mind stopping that?"

Marth scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry guys. I didn't mean to worry you guys." He then noticed the absence of three certain girls. "Hey, where's Yuuki, Celina and Lisbeth?"

Suddenly the others lowered their heads in shame while Thorrnn let go of her brother and backed off, confusing the Silver Aegis.

"What's wrong?" Marth questioned nervously.

"About that," Asuna said slowly, not looking him in the eye.

Sinon let out a heavy sigh. "We need to show him," the Cait Sith archer said sincerely. "Marth deserves to know."

"You're right, Sinon," the Undine replied. She held her hand out to the blue-eyed Spriggan. "Come with me. I'll take you to them."

Marth was confused but took Asuna's hand and allowed the Lightning Flash to lead him to a medical tent, with the others following them. They then entered the tent, where Marth saw dozens of people being treated for injuries, with some of them being children. There were even some tables with bodies covered by tarps in the back.

The Silver Aegis's eyes widened in shock. "Did I do this?" he asked slowly.

Asuna didn't answer and instead led him to the makeshift morgue where they found Lisbeth sitting on a table while holding a gravely injured Celina. The pink-haired blacksmith was sobbing, and Celina wasn't breathing.

"No," Marth said in disbelief.

Lisbeth managed to stop crying before facing the duo and glared at Marth. "So you finally decided to wake up," she said bitterly. "Come to admire your work?"

"Liz!" Asuna protested.

Marth, on the other hand, was stunned by the accusation.

"This all your fault!" Lisbeth continued, her tone not changing. "If you hadn't merged with that stupid Core Crystal, Celina wouldn't have died."

"I never…" Marth said in shock. He reached out to Celina, only for Lisbeth to slap his hand away.

"Don't you touch her!" Lisbeth exclaimed in anger. "I hate you, Marth! I wish Celina and I have never met you! This is all your fault!"

"Don't say that, Liz!" Asuna scolded, finding herself getting angry over her friend's accusations. "You know that's not true!"

Lisbeth didn't respond and went back to her mourning. Marth turned towards the Undine in a worried expression.

"Where's Yuuki?" he asked quickly.

Asuna gave Marth's hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll take you to her. Just promise that you won't blame yourself." She turned towards Kirito and gave him a nod.

Kirito nodded in response before leading the duo to another table with a tarp covering a body. The Black Swordsman lifted the tarp, revealing Yuuki's body lying down on the table with her sword right next to her.

"No," Marth said in shock. "This can't be real. How did she die?"

"How do you think?" Lisbeth spoke up, causing the trio to face her. "_You_ killed her! Yuuki's dead because of you!"

Marth's eyes widened in disbelief. "No. That can't be true." He faced Kirito, who's head was lowered in shame. "Tell me it's not true."

"I'm sorry, Marth, but it's true," Kirito answered slowly. "That last attack you did would've hit me and I couldn't move because your powers were overwhelming me. Yuuki ended up taking the blow herself to protect me. We couldn't heal her no matter how hard we tried. There was nothing we could've done."

Marth backed up as guilt and grief overwhelmed him. "No. This isn't what I wanted." He turned towards his dead girlfriend and held her cheek with his other hand. "Yuuki, I'm so sorry."

_"You will have to face a hardship greater than anything you've experienced so far,"_ Klaus's voice echoed in Marth's head. _"If you aren't careful, it could shatter your spirit and leave you powerless."_

"I think I know what Klaus's warning was about now," Marth spoke up. "It wasn't the Demon War or Zarc, it was losing Yuuki and Celina."

The Dark Swordsman backed into Asuna, who put her arms around him to comfort him, but he didn't seem to notice as he was too lost in grief. Marth then felt his legs go out and fell to his knees.

"Marth!" Asuna said in worry as she and Kirito knelt as well before both comforting the grieving Aegis.

"Brother!" Thorrnn exclaimed as she hurried to the trio.

_"If you hadn't merged with that stupid Core Crystal, Celina wouldn't have died,"_ Lisbeth's voice boomed in Marth's head. _"__Yuuki's dead because of you!"_

"No," Marth said as guilt and grief overwhelmed him, his voice cracking. "I never wanted this." Marth's core then lit up. "No. No. Noooo!" Marth's body then unleashed a burst of blinding silver light. When the light died down, it revealed he had blacked out.

"Marth!" Asuna cried out in desperation as she held the unconscious teen in her arms. "Marth, wake up!"

**The Next Day**

A funeral was being held for those who died, including Yuuki and Victoria. Both Aiko, her parents, and Serena (Victoria's mother), were all sobbing. Everyone was in their regular appearances as most of the Fenrir Effect's power has since faded. Kazuto and Asuna were by their friends, except Rika (Lisbeth), who refused to sit near them because Marth, who had regained consciousness, was with them. Marth was the only one present who was still in his avatar form, but he was confined to a wheelchair because his friends found out he was unable to move on his own after he woke up. Lunara and Solaris were lying on his lap in their scabbards, his hands clutching them tightly, as if they would disappear if he loosened his grip for even a second. Yui was also there, albeit through Kazuto's smartphone.

When Yuuki's memorial began, Meg noticed her brother stiffen and tears leak from his lifeless eyes. Marth had not spoken a word since he had woken up, and that worried her. He also refused to eat or drink anything too.

Kikuoka was by the podium and asked if anyone wanted to say anything regarding the Absolute Sword.

"I do," Kazuto said as he rose from his chair.

"Kirito," Asuna muttered quietly, surprised by her boyfriend's decision.

"Daddy," Yui said through the phone.

Kazuto made his way to the podium and faced the crowd, while also sparing a glance at his partner, who was just staring at the ground.

"Frank," Kazuto muttered slowly before speaking up. "Yuuki was one of the greatest people I have ever met. As you all probably know, I met her in Sword Art Online, the death game. But despite being trapped there, Yuuki never once let that bring her down. She always found a way to keep smiling, no matter how bad things got."

Kazuto sniffed in sorrow as he fought back tears. "The… the only reason she isn't with us anymore, is because I failed to help my best friend, someone I consider a brother, to control his powers," he continued, struggling to find words to say. "I know that Yuuki would not want me or him to blame ourselves for what happened, but the pain is still there. Yuuki was a light in this world, one that will not easily be replaced, if ever. As we try to rebuild our damaged home, we must never forget those who gave their lives so we could live."

Kazuto couldn't take it anymore and let a few tears fall down his cheeks. There was silence for a moment before people began applauding, including Asuna and the other Alfheim Warriors, except for Marth and Rika.

"Thank you, Kirito," Kikuoka said. "I know this must be hard for you and your friends, especially Marth. If you ever need help, just call me."

"Thank you," Kazuto said before returning to his seat.

"That was a nice speech," Asuna said quietly as the funeral continued. "I'm sure Yuuki would've liked it."

Kazuto let out a sob, prompting his girlfriend to hug him from the side.

"It's all my fault, Asuna," Kazuto sobbed. "I failed Frank when he needed me the most, and Yuuki paid the price for it. I'm a terrible friend."

"Don't say that, Daddy!" Yui pleaded. "Aunt Yuuki wouldn't want you to blame yourself for what happened."

"I know she wouldn't, Yui. But I can't help but feel guilty. I should've done more, I should've tried to fight that power so I could help Frank."

"Kirito," Asuna said slowly before glancing at Marth, who was ignoring all his sister's attempts to talk to him. _"Why did this have to happen?" _she asked herself. _"Why did the price to end the Demon War have to be Yuuki and Celina's lives, and also Marth's will? This just isn't fair."_

The funeral ended pretty quickly after that. Kazuto and the others were about to head home when Aiko approached them.

"Hey," she said slowly, not trying to hide her grief.

"Hi, Aiko," Kazuto replied. "I'm sorry about Yuuki."

Aiko shook her head in dismissal. "It's okay. Yuuki would've went with you guys anyway, even if she knew it would end her life. She always liked to live life to the fullest. How's Frank doing?"

She, Kazuto, and Asuna turned to the vegetative Spriggan as Meg wrapped a scarf over him.

"Not really well," Asuna said grimly. "He's completely shut himself off from the world. I can't even begin to imagine what's going on inside his head."

"I see," Aiko replied, her eyes filled with dread. "Anyway, I have to get going. I'll see you guys later."

Aiko then walked off towards her family, leaving the Alfheim Warriors alone.

"What are we gonna do?" Shino questioned.

All eyes went to Kazuto, who said, "I think we should try to help with rebuilding the city and then we should try to go back to our normal lives."

"But what about Frank?" Meg spoke up, pain filling her tone. "He won't respond to anything we say and he's not eating anything."

"Which is why we can't give up on him," Asuna replied. "We have to make him realize that we're here for him, always."

**Three weeks later**

Asuna was going to the Storm household to visit Marth and Meg, something she hadn't been able to do since the funeral because of how busy she was with helping the reconstruction. As she walked down the sidewalk, she saw people working on repairing buildings and roads either through magic or tools, making Tokyo seem somewhat livable again. Asuna hadn't really contacted Rika at all since the blacksmith player refused to talk to her since she always defended Marth. Kazuto also seemed to be avoiding her for some reason, despite her efforts to support him.

Asuna was on the phone with Yui, who seemed to sense her distress. "Mommy, what's wrong?" the AI asked.

The Undine player forced a smile and said, "It's nothing, Yui. It's just that…I don't understand why this had to happen. This just doesn't make any sense."

"You and Daddy haven't visited me in weeks," Yui added. "I know the VRMMO servers are still shut down so people can focus on rebuilding, but I feel so lonely."

Asuna wished she could give her daughter a hug. "Don't worry, Yui, once the ALO servers are back up, Kirito and I will come back, and we'll make up for all the lost time."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Yui then hung up so she could call Kazuto while Asuna arrived at the Storm house. It was one of the few neighborhoods that wasn't damaged from Marth's attack, which was very fortunate since its where Marth and Kazuto kept all of the back-ups for Yui's program. Asuna knocked on the door and saw Meg open the door.

"Hi, Asuna," the Sylph player greeted with a forced smile. "What brings you here?"

"Hey, Thorrnn. Has there been any change with Marth?"

Meg sadly shook her head as she allowed the vice-commander inside before closing the door. "He's been his room ever since we got back from the funeral," Meg explained. "And he still won't eat anything."

Asuna's eyes filled with sorrow. "I'm sorry to hear that. I know that you stayed here just so you can look after him while your parents are busy with the rebuilding. Is it okay if I see him?"

"Go right ahead," Meg replied solemnly. "But I wouldn't get your hopes up if I were you. Not even Kazuto has managed to get Frank to talk. In fact, he hasn't been over in five days."

"_It must be because of his guilt," _Asuna guessed. "Anyway, where is Marth's room again?"

"Upstairs. Second door on your left."

"Thank you." Asuna proceeded up the stairs and stood in front of the appointed door.

"Marth, it's me," the Undine player said softly. "Can I come in?"

Not surprisingly, she was met with silence. Asuna let out a deep breath before opening the bedroom door and entered the room. It was a decent sized room with a regular-sized bed, a desk with a computer and an Amusphere on it, two bookshelves, and a rug on the hardwood floor. On one of the bookshelves was a NerveGear.

Asuna saw that Marth was sitting on his bed, hugging his knees close to his chest. His overcoat was lying next to him while his swords and boots were by the wall. He was wearing a black shirt and pants, along with white socks. He also looked surprisingly well, despite having not eaten anything in weeks, though that was mostly because of his Blade physiology.

"Marth," Asuna said in sorrow as she slowly approached the Spriggan, who didn't even acknowledge her, and sat next to him.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Marth," she pleaded. "We're all dealing with losing Yuuki and Celina, not just you. Stop beating yourself over what happened. This won't bring them back. Please, just let me help you."

"You can't," Marth said in a raspy voice as he rested his forehead on his knees.

It took Asuna a moment to realize that the Spriggan had finally spoken.

"It's all my fault," Marth sobbed. "If only I never merged with this stupid Core Crystal, then none of this would've happened. Yuuki and Celina would still be alive if it wasn't for me."

Asuna remembered the Dark Swordsman telling her Klaus's warning about what would happen if he merged with the silver Aegis core.

"You don't know that," Asuna argued. "Knowing Zarc, he would've attacked anyway. But if you hadn't merged with that core, we wouldn't have had the means to fight him. Thousands of people are alive because of you."

"And how many people died because of me?" Marth retorted as he choked back a sob. "Maybe everyone is better off without me. At least then, I won't be able to hurt anyone again."

Asuna gasped in shock. She then promptly slapped him in the face.

"How can you say such a thing?!" Asuna exclaimed in anger. "You can't honestly believe that me, Kirito and everyone else would be better off without you. You're the Dark Swordsman, Marth, and part of the Darkness Duo. You've done so much for everyone in the real world and the virtual one. You and Kirito beat Heathcliff and Zelgius at their own game, you saved me and Yuuki from Sugou, and you guys stopped the Death Gun Incident in GGO. Don't you ever say that no one wants you around!"

Marth lifted his head and looked at the teen. His eyes were red from crying so much.

"Asuna," he said slowly. He looked ready to cry again.

The Undine player pulled the Spriggan into a hug, which he soon returned, allowing him to rest his head on her chest as he burst into tears.

"It's okay," Asuna said soothingly as she rubbed the back of his head to comfort him. "I'm right here, and I won't go anywhere. I promise." Asuna then found her heart beating fast as the Spriggan sobbed into her chest, making her instantly feel guilty because of her feelings for Kazuto.

**Meanwhile**

Kazuto was in Dicey Café, drinking some water while sitting by the bar. There were several empty cups by him. Andrew was there too, though his wife had left to get more supplies for the upcoming evening rush.

"Am I glad you're still underage," Andrew said as he was cleaning some mugs. "If that all had alcohol, you'd be passed out on the floor, drunk as a dog."

"Whatever," Kazuto said emotionlessly. He heard his phone going off and saw that it was Yui. Surprisingly, he actually declined the call since he didn't want his daughter to hear him in this emotional mess.

"How's Marth doing?" Andrew asked, deciding to change the subject.

"Still no change," Kazuto replied. "Asuna texted me saying that she was going to visit him and asked if I wanted to come, but I couldn't bring myself to go back."

"Are you really going to let this guilt of yours to destroy your friendship with Marth? Remember what I said the other day. The bond you two share is one that can't be easily repaired if it's gone. I think you should go to him."

Kazuto lowered his head in shame. "But I'm pathetic. I'm supposed to be Frank's Driver and I screwed up. He trusted me and I let him down. How can I bring myself to face him now?"

"Sounds to me like you're running away," a familiar voice spoke up.

Kazuto and Andrew turned and saw none other than Shino.

"Sinon? What are you doing here?" Kazuto questioned.

"Yui called me," she explained as she took a seat next to the Spriggan player. "It's not like you to not answer her like that."

Kazuto's eyes filled with guilt. "I can't let her see me like this," he said slowly. "Yui looks up to me and Asuna. It would break her heart if she saw this."

Shino couldn't help but feel pity for the Black Swordsman. "Why not talk to Asuna about this? I'm sure she could help."

Kazuto just shook his head. "I haven't talked with Asuna in two weeks," he confessed. "I…I don't think I can take it anymore. Something inside me broke when Yuuki died and seeing Asuna just makes it worse."

Saying that Shino was shocked would be an understatement. She always figured that Kazuto and Asuna were in love and they would stand by each other forever. Then again, she got the same impression from Frank and Yuuki and look where that went.

"What are you saying?" Shino questioned.

Kazuto tightened his grip on his cup. "I think… I think Asuna would be happier with someone else," he said in remorse.

**Meanwhile**

Meg was stunned. Somehow Asuna had managed to get Marth out of his room, something she's been trying to do for weeks, but to no avail. Marth was sitting by the kitchen table, though he still looked depressed. Meg was in the kitchen with Asuna as the latter was fixing a quick meal for the Silver Aegis.

"How did you do that?" Meg questioned. "I've been trying for weeks to get him out of there and nothing."

Asuna just shrugged. "I don't know how I did it," she admitted. "I just talked to him and he responded. I didn't do anything special."

Meg rubbed her arms for a few seconds as she hesitated for a moment. "Hey, Asuna," she said slowly. "Do you think… you could visit more often? I know you and the others are busy with rebuilding, heck, I haven't seen Sugu in a week, but I think my brother would really benefit if you kept stopping by every now and then."

Asuna paused from what she was doing and faced the Sylph player. The Lightning Flash could see the worry in her friend's eyes.

"Okay," Asuna replied with a nod. "I'll make sure to visit as much as I can."

Meg formed a true smile, something she hadn't done in a long time. "Thank you," she said cheerfully.

Asuna then found herself feeling excited for her next visit as she finished making a grilled chicken, along with two baked potatoes and set them on a plate before bringing them to Marth. Much to her, and Meg's, amusement, Marth immediately wolfed them down along with powering through a glass of water.

When he was done, Marth leaned back in his chair. "Man, food has never tasted so good," he said with a half-content smile. "Thanks a bunch, Asuna."

The Undine player slightly blushed before smiling back. "You're very welcome, Marth. If you ever want me to come over and cook, just call me and I'll come right over."

"Thanks." Marth then gave his sister a guilty look. "I'm sorry I worried you, Meg. I'm an awful brother."

Meg went over to her brother and gave him a hug. Tears were leaking from her eyes.

"I'm just glad you're okay, Frank," Meg said in relief. "I don't know what I would've done if I lost you. I love you, Brother."

It was rare for the two siblings to ever say that they loved each other, despite how close they've become ever since Marth returned from SAO.

Marth then returned the hug and said, "I love you too, Meg."

Asuna stuck around for another hour before she decided to head for home. Marth had gone back upstairs to get some sleep, since he hasn't slept a wink for weeks, so Meg walked her out.

"Thanks again, Asuna," Meg said with gratitude. "You're a real life saver."

Asuna waved her hand dismissively. "I already told you, I didn't do anything special," she passed off. "I'll see you around, Thorrnn."

"Goodbye Asuna."

The Undine player then headed out as the evening sun began to set. Suddenly her phone went off, prompting her to check and see that she had gotten a text from Kazuto.

"Hey, Asuna," her boyfriend had typed. "This might not be a good time, but we need to talk. Can you meet me at Dicey's?"

Asuna felt herself panic a little but managed to calm herself. "Sure. I'll head there now," she responded.

**Later**

Asuna got to Dicey Café with no problem. When she went inside, she found Kazuto sitting by a table, alone. Shino was also there, but she was by the bar with Andrew. Asuna went over and sat by her boyfriend. She noticed that like Marth was earlier, Kazuto wasn't looking like his usual self. His black eyes were darker than usual and lacked their familiar warmth and kindness.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting," Asuna said sincerely. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

Kazuto lowered his head in shame. "I want to apologize for how I've been acting these last few weeks," he said in a weak voice. "I know you've been trying to help me through this, but something inside me broke when Yuuki died in my arms. I…I don't think I'm the same person you fell in love with in Aincrad."

Asuna's eyes widened in shock. "What's gotten into you, Kirito?" she asked hastily. "If this is a joke, it's not funny!"

The Black Swordsman couldn't bring himself to look at his girlfriend in the eye. "I'm sorry, Asuna, but it isn't," he said sadly. "I do still love you, but with the way I am right now, all I'll do is bring you pain. You might…" His voice cracked as he tried to say the words. "You might be better off finding happiness with someone else."

Asuna was speechless. Did she and Kazuto just break up? She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"No," she said weakly. "You're still the person I love, Kirito. We can work things out. Please!"

Kazuto just shook his head. "It's not your fault, Asuna, it's mine. I don't deserve someone like you, especially with how I screwed up back at the Shadow Fortress."

"I don't care about that! What about Yui, our _daughter_? It would break her heart if we broke up."

Hearing the AI's name just made Kazuto's eyes darker. "I'm sorry, Asuna, but this has to be done. I hope that you can be happy and that we can at least be friends."

The Spriggan player rose from his chair and exited the café, leaving a speechless Asuna. The Lightning Flash looked ready to cry.

"Are you okay, Asuna?" Shino asked in concern as she went over to the Undine player.

"No, I'm not," Asuna choked out. "I don't get it. Why would Kirito do this, especially right after I got Marth to open up again? This doesn't make any sense."

Shino wrapped her arm around her friend and pulled her close. "I don't know," the Cait Sith player replied. "Both our leaders haven't been the same since the Demon War ended, and I don't think things will ever go back to the way they were."

"Oh, Sinon!" Asuna exclaimed as she hugged the girl and began to break down in tears.

Shino rubbed the chestnut-haired girl's back and said, "I know this might be hard, but there's someone else who wants to talk with you."

Asuna managed to separate herself from the sniper and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Who?"

Shino brought out her phone, which was currently in a face-chat call with a familiar pixie.

"Mommy, did you and Daddy just break up?" Yui questioned, clearly holding back tears.

Asuna couldn't bring herself to look at her daughter. "I'm sorry, Yui, but I think we did."

"No," Yui said in disbelief. "But Daddy has my core programming saved onto his Amusphere. What if I never see you again?"

"Kirito would never do something like that," Asuna replied. "But you might want to stay with him for a while. He needs you more than I do right now."

Yui lowered her head as tears began to leak down her face. "Okay, Mommy. I'll make sure to support Daddy as much as I can, for you."

Asuna managed to force herself to smile. "Thank you, Yui. I love you."

"I love you too." Yui then hung up, most likely to go back to Kazuto.

"Hey, Asuna, how about you stay at my place," Shino offered. "You definitely need a friend right now."

"Thanks, Sinon."

**That Night**

Asuna and Shino arrived at the latter's apartment, which had been rebuilt. Shino let Asuna use the shower first while she set up the couch for her to sleep in.

When Asuna stepped out of the bathroom, she was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and a pair of short sleep pants (I don't know what they're called).

"Thanks for letting me stay over, Sinon," Asuna said.

"Anytime," Shino replied. "Do you want to sleep on the bed or couch?"

"I don't mind the couch. It's your home after all."

Shino just shrugged since she knew that she couldn't change Asuna's mind. The GGO sniper then changed into sleepwear herself and put her glasses on her nightstand.

"So what's this I hear about you getting Marth to open up?" Shino questioned.

Asuna sat on the couch and had a guilty smile on her face. "I went over to his place to check on him and I managed to get him to talk to me. It's honestly a miracle. Although it might be a while before Marth will actually go outside."

Shino nodded as she turned off the lights and climbed into bed. "I can't even imagine what he's going through right now. But if anyone can help him, it's you, Asuna."

The Undine player cracked a smile as she pulled her blanket over her and laid down. "Thanks, Sinon. Can I ask you a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Help Kirito for me. You're probably one of the few people who knows what he's going through right now. You're his best bet for helping him through his guilt."

Shino was shocked at what the chestnut-haired girl had said. "Okay. We've certainly got our work cut out for us, don't we?"

"We sure do."

The girls then said good night to each other and went to sleep.

**To be continued**

* * *

**Wow, this was a long chapter. As stated above, this story is an AU of my Dark Swordsman storyline. It will not take the events that happen in my Accel World: The Black Wolf story into account and will have its own narrative. Updates for this story might be really slow since I am also working on Black Wolf at the time of this chapter being posted. I'll probably only be working on this one during my off periods when I need a break from my main stories. I'm sorry for this inconvience but I suck at multi-tasking when it comes to writing, but I don't plan on abandoning this story at all. Anyway, I'll see you guys in the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2: Girl's Day

**Chapter 2: Girl's Day**

Asuna woke up in a daze. She looked around in confusion before remembering that she was in Shino's apartment. Speaking of which, the sniper had just walked out of the bathroom, wearing a brown t-shirt, a black skirt, and black leggings. Shino's hair was damp, indicating that she had just gotten out of the shower.

"Morning, Asuna," Shino greeted as she put her glasses on. "How'd you sleep?"

Asuna let out a yawn. "I slept like a rock, which I'm a little surprised about," she replied. "I would've thought I would have more trouble sleeping after what happened at Dicey's."

Shino noticed the sorrow in her friend's eyes. It was painfully obvious that the Undine player's heart was broken.

"So, um, what do you want for breakfast?" Shino said suddenly, wanting to change the subject. "I don't have a whole lot of options here since I haven't gone to the store recently."

Asuna climbed off of the couch and began inspecting the kitchen for any food. "I could make us some eggs," she offered. "They're pretty easy to make."

"That sounds good. I should have some in the fridge."

Asuna got the eggs out of the fridge before getting a frying pan out of the cupboard. She then placed the pan on a burner and turned it on.

"One or two eggs?" Asuna questioned.

"Two," Shino said immediately.

"How would you like them done?"

"Just scrambled is fine."

Asuna nodded in acknowledgement and began preparing the eggs. After they were done, she put them on a plate and handed them to Shino before making some for herself.

Shino got a fork for her to eat with and took a bite of her meal once she reached the table. "This isn't too bad," the sniper said. "Looks like you're a good cook IRL too."

Asuna simply smiled. "Thanks, I put in some salt and pepper to add a little flavor to them." She then put her eggs on a plate, got a fork and went to join her friend.

"So what's the plan for you today?" Shino questioned.

"I don't know," Asuna admitted. "Normally, I'd try to call Kirito so we can help with the rebuilding together, but that's not a good idea now."

"Well all the schools are out because most of them are damaged from the war," Shino said. "They probably won't be open again for another month or so. And we can't go on ALO because the servers are still down." Shino then brought her hands together. "I know, how about we have bit of a girl's day. We can even invite the others."

Asuna looked genuinely surprised. "Wow, I didn't think you'd say something like that, Sinon."

Shino's face reddened with embarrassment. "Hey, I'm a girl too! So what do you think?"

"It sounds like fun," Asuna admitted. "Let's do it."

Shino's face returned to normal before she smiled. "Great. I'll call Leafa and Silica to see if they want to come. How about you handle Thorrnn and Lisbeth."

Asuna lowered her head. "Thorrnn and Liz might be a little hard. Thorrnn's busy taking care of Marth while Liz won't even talk to me anymore."

"She still blames Marth for what happened?" Shino questioned, sounding somewhat surprised. "I thought she would've gotten over it by now."

"Unfortunately she hasn't. Anyway, I'll give them a call and see if they want to come."

"Okay."

After they finished eating, Asuna got dressed. Shino allowed her to borrow some of her clothes since she didn't have any spares. Asuna changed into a black V-neck shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and black leggings. She then called Rika, and not surprisingly, it went straight to voicemail.

"Hey, Liz," Asuna said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. "Me, Sinon and the others were planning on hanging out today. Call me back if you're interested." She then hung up before selecting Meg's number.

**Meanwhile**

Meg had just gotten out of bed when she saw her phone ringing. She checked it and saw that it was Asuna. She immediately answered it and said, "Hey Asuna. What's up?"

"Nothing much," the Undine player answered. "Me, Sinon and the other girls were thinking of having a girl's day today. Would you like to come?"

"Um," Meg said nervously.

"Go for it," said a familiar voice.

Meg turned around and saw her brother by the door, although he was still in his ALO form.

"You sure, Frank?" Meg questioned as she lowered her phone.

Marth folded his arms and nodded. "Of course. You've been so busy taking care of me that you never had some time for yourself," he answered. "I can handle myself for a day."

Meg gave her brother an honest smile before raising her phone again. "I'd love to come. Where are we meeting?"

"How about the mall? I heard they just reopened."

"Sounds good. I'll see you guys there."

She then hung up and faced her brother.

"Are you sure you'll be okay on your own?" Meg asked nervously. "I mean, even you can't recover from not eating for weeks in a single night."

"I'm fine," Marth answered. "I don't really have any plans. If anything, I can just call Kazuto."

"Okay," Meg said slowly. "But if anything happens, call me immediately. I… I'm worried about losing you, just like we lost Mom and Dad."

Marth knew that she was talking about their birth parents, who were murdered by unknown assailants ten years ago. It was supposed to a family vacation to Japan, but one night the family were wandering through one Tokyo's parks and were attacked. Frank and Meg did manage to get away, but only because their parents stayed behind to hold them off.

Eventually the police found the siblings huddling behind a tree and took them to a station. There, they learned that their parents were dead and since they had no other family left, they were sent to an orphanage, where they did learn how to speak in Japanese. Then a Japanese couple, their current parents, adopted them and did their best to comfort the grieving siblings. However, the incident in the park caused Frank to distance himself from Meg, something that he regretted to this very day.

Marth approached his sister and wrapped his arms around her. "I know," he said softly. "I promise I won't leave you. I mean it."

Meg returned the embrace and buried her head into his shoulder. "Thank you."

The siblings then separated before Marth left the room. It took the Sylph player thirty minutes to get ready and eat. She then said goodbye to her brother and left. As soon as she was gone, Marth materialized Lunara in his right hand and stared at his reflection in its black blade.

Suddenly his blood began to rush through his veins as he started having flashbacks of the Demon War. His breathing became labored and fear filled his eyes before he ended up dropping Lunara in a panic. The black sword landed on the floor with a loud clang.

Marth struggled to calm himself down. "Oh no," he muttered under his breath.

Suddenly, he heard a knocking on the front door, prompting him to answer it, revealing a saddened Kazuto.

"Hey," Marth said slowly.

"Hey," Kazuto replied. "I see you're doing better."

"Somewhat. What seems to be bothering you?"

Kazuto gave his partner a weak smile. "You always see right through me, Frank. Can I come in? There's something I need to tell you."

**Meanwhile**

Asuna and Shino were waiting by the mall entrance for the others. Soon, they were greeted by Suguha, Ayano and Meg.

"Hey, Asuna!" Suguha greeted. "Hey Sinon!"

"Hey guys," Asuna replied.

"I gotta admit, I never thought we'd hang out like this," Ayano said with a smile. "Is Rika coming?"

Asuna lowered her head in shame. "I tried calling her, but she wouldn't answer me."

Meg folded her arms and scoffed. "I kinda gave up talking to Liz," she said in annoyance. "She keeps badmouthing Frank even though he wasn't responsible for Celina's death."

"Try telling Frank that," Suguha said. "Kazuto's going through the same thing too. He keeps beating himself up over Yuuki's death. I'm worried about him."

A gloomy atmosphere was gathering among the group, prompting Asuna to say, "Let's not talk about that right now. Let's just have fun here."

The other girls agreed before they all entered the mall. There were tons of people inside the different stores, which sold a variety of things. The girls first went to the clothing store and looked through what they had.

"I'm surprised they have this much clothing," Suguha said as she saw more shirts, skirts and pants than she could count. "I would've thought their stock would be pretty limited."

"It's thanks to my dad," Asuna answered. "He donated a large amount of money to the mall so they could restock their merchandise."

"Cool," Ayano commented. "Maybe we could get some stuff for Kirito and Marth while we're here."

Asuna immediately stopped what she was doing as she felt a sense of sorrow flow through her.

"Is something wrong, Asuna?" Meg questioned.

The Undine player shook her head and said, "N-no, it's nothing. Don't mind me."

**Later**

After spending a few hours looking through clothes at different stores, Asuna and the others went to the mess hall for some lunch. They each had a few bags of clothing.

"This was a great idea," Ayano said with a smile. "It's like everything is back to normal again."

"Tell me about it," Suguha agreed. "Now if we could just play ALO again, we can all go on quests together again. I'm sure that would cheer Kazuto and Frank up."

Asuna stuttered for a moment before eyeing the table.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Meg asked the chestnut-haired girl. "You've been acting kinda quiet all day today. And every time someone mentions Kazuto, you get all depressed."

"I-it's nothing," Asuna passed off, though her voice betrayed her by cracking.

Shino let out a deep breath. "Asuna, you should tell them," the sniper said, confusing the other girls.

"Tell us what?" Ayano said slowly. "Did something happen?"

Asuna lowered her head in shame. "I didn't want to tell you guys this because I didn't want to ruin the mood, but… Kirito and I broke up."

Everyone, except Shino, were shocked.

"What? No way!" Ayano exclaimed.

"I don't understand," Suguha said in disbelief. "What happened?"

"It happened last night," Asuna said slowly. "I was heading home after visiting Marth and Thorrnn when Kirito texted me to meet him at Dicey's. I went there and he told me that he felt like a different person after Yuuki died, one he claimed would only cause me pain." She could feel tears beginning to well up as the memory flooded back into her mind. "Kirito then said that I'd be better off with someone else."

Suguha lowered her head. "No way. I knew Kazuto felt really bad for what happened, but I didn't think it was this bad. Do you think you guys will ever get back together?"

"I don't know," Asuna confessed. "I want to hope we can, but I can't bring myself to do it."

The gloomy atmosphere soon returned, prompting Meg to say, "That's enough about the boys. What should we do next?"

"How about we go to the spa?" Shino suggested. "That sounds like a good way to relax."

Asuna nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Let's do it."

**Meanwhile**

Frank reverted back to his normal form before he and Kazuto entered in the former's bedroom, with Frank choosing to sit in his chair while Kazuto sat on the bed.

"So you and Asuna broke up," Frank said slowly. "I never thought you'd do something like that."

"Me neither," Kazuto admitted as he stared at the floor. "But Yuuki was Asuna's best friend. Every time I think of Asuna, I think about Yuuki. It's all my fault she's dead."

"You're not the only one at fault," Frank said. "I let my emotions get the better of me and lost control of my powers. If anyone's at fault for what happened, it's me."

"But we resonated so I could help you control your powers, and I let you down. I don't deserve to be your Driver."

Frank let out a deep breath as he looked out the window in sorrow. "We're quite a pair, aren't we?"

Kazuto slowly nodded. "Yeah, we are." He then noticed a glum look in his partner's eyes. "What's wrong?"

Frank stared at his right palm, which was shaking. "You're not the only one who's broken. I…I can't swing my swords."

The Black Swordsman's eyes widened in shock. "What? Are you sure?"

Frank didn't answer. Instead he summoned Lunara in his right hand. After a few seconds, he started freaking out and promptly dropped his sword on the floor.

"S-see," Frank said as he tried to calm down.

"Yeah." Kazuto stood up and picked Lunara up and stared at his reflection in the black blade. "This isn't good."

**Meanwhile**

Asuna, Shino, and Meg were in a hot spring while Suguha and Ayano were getting massages.

"This feels great!" Asuna said as she submerged most of her body under the hot water.

"Yeah," Meg agreed. "Great idea, Sinon."

Shino chuckled. "Thanks. I heard from Asuna that Marth is doing better. Is he okay enough for him to be alone?"

The Sylph player hugged her knees close to her chest. "Well, he's well enough to walk on his own again and he does have his powers if someone tries to break in, but I'm still worried about him. He says that he's better, but there's always sorrow in his eyes. I keep thinking that he'll fall into despair again if I don't do something."

Asuna sat up and eyed her fellow rapier-user. "I won't let that happen," she said in a serious tone. "Kirito may be beyond my help, but I won't give up on Marth. I never want to see him in that state again."

Meg couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Asuna," she said. "How about you take him on a date or something? I bet that'll be fun."

Asuna's face went beet-red, and it wasn't from the hot water or the steam. "A d-d-date," she stuttered.

Both Meg and Shino burst out laughing, causing Asuna to blush even harder.

"I'm just kidding," Meg replied. "But it could work since you're both single now."

"Th-that's ridiculous," Asuna refuted. "Besides, Marth told me he would never pursue a relationship with me because of Kirito."

"Something tells me that might no longer apply," Shino stated smugly. "Kirito was the one who ended the relationship. Granted, there's always the chance you two could get back together…"

"_Gah_! Not you too, Sinon!" Asuna exclaimed.

**That Evening**

Asuna and the others were outside the mall. They all had their bags and looked quite cheerful.

"Well that was fun," Suguha said with a light smile. "We should do this more often."

"Yeah," Ayano agreed. "Maybe next time Rika can join us. It's kind of a shame she didn't come today."

"Liz has to let go of her hatred for Marth before she'll do that," Asuna said. "Sooner or later, she'll have to realize that he wasn't responsible for Celina's death."

The girls then decided to all head home, though Meg asked Asuna if she would come with her to check on Frank. Asuna agreed to come and found herself feeling excited as her thoughts focused on the Dark Swordsman.

_"Why am I thinking about him? I mean, I do care about Marth a lot, but he never appeared in my thoughts this often before." _Asuna questioned as she walked with Meg and Suguha to the latter two's neighborhood.

The trio arrived at the Storm household, where they found it strangely empty.

"That's weird," Suguha said in confusion. "Did Frank go out somewhere?"

"I doubt it," Meg replied. "He's still going through his grief. There's no way he'd bring himself to go outside."

Suddenly Asuna felt a chill run down her spine. She dropped her bags and immediately sprinted up the stairs, prompting Meg and Suguha to follow her. She heard a panicked shout coming Frank's room and hurriedly opened the door, where she saw Frank kneeling on the floor with Kazuto beside him. Frank looked completely terrified and his Core Crystal was flashing like crazy. Lunara was lying by his right leg while Kazuto was on his left. There was also a black aura around the Aegis, which seemed to get stronger by the second.

"No, no!" Frank said quickly as he held his forehead in his hands. Memories of the Demon War were flashing through his mind, especially Yuuki's body in the morgue. "Stay away from me!"

"Snap out of it, Frank!" Kazuto exclaimed. He tried to reach out to his friend, but the aura caused his hand to flare in pain, forcing him to pull back.

"Marth!" Asuna shouted in worry as she ran over and wrapped her arms around the Silver Aegis, not even noticing her ex-boyfriend who was surprised to see her. "Calm down. It's okay. I'm here. Just calm down."

Pain wracked Asuna's mind as the black aura tried to force her away, but she somehow maintained her grip. Meg and Suguha entered the room and were shocked by the sight.

"Brother!" Meg shouted in worry. She tried to run to her sibling but Suguha held her back.

"You're safe," Asuna continued in a soothing tone as she rubbed circles on Frank's back. "No one's gonna hurt you. I promise."

Eventually the aura faded away and Frank's breathing slowed down before he found himself falling asleep in the Lightning Flash's arms. His Core Crystal also stopped flashing. However, his hair had changed from brown to black. No one moved for a few moments until Meg broke the silence.

"Is… is he okay?" she asked slowly.

Kazuto went over and took Frank from Asuna, something the chestnut-haired girl found herself reluctant to do but eventually relented, and had the unconscious teen lean into him.

"Yeah," Kazuto replied. "Thanks to Asuna, he'll be alright."

Asuna found herself a little hesitant to speak with her former boyfriend present, but her concern for Frank overrode it and she ran her hand through his hair, noticing the color change.

"What caused this to happen?" she questioned.

"That." Kazuto eyed Lunara, which hadn't moved at all.

"Lunara caused this?"

Kazuto picked up his partner before setting him on the bed. He then went over and picked up Lunara.

"Not the sword itself," Kazuto explained. "Every time Frank sees it, he gets flashes of the Demon War and starts freaking out. We tried to see if we could overcome it, but then he collapsed, and that aura appeared around him. If you hadn't shown up when you did, I don't know what would have happened."

"Oh no," Meg said. She went over to her brother and put her left hand on his cheek. "I shouldn't have left him. I knew he was suffering, but not like this."

"You couldn't have known this would happen," Suguha said. "Frank was hardly even moving for the last few weeks. Plus, he does have a nasty habit of keeping things to himself."

"Could this be Zarc's doing?" Asuna questioned. "Some kind of curse he inflicted on Marth in an act of revenge?"

Kazuto shook his head. "I don't think so. If anything, I think all the trauma Frank's been through is finally catching up with him. The survivor's guilt from Sword Art Online, the pain from the Demon War, and the grief from Yuuki's death."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because I'm going through a similar thing. My case isn't as severe as Frank's, but I do sometimes get panic attacks whenever I'm alone." Kazuto held his forehead in his other hand. "The memories… the pain… they just keep coming back no matter what I do."

Asuna's heart ached at hearing about Kazuto's struggles. She reached out her hand in an attempt to comfort him, but he just shook his head.

"No, Frank needs you more than me," he said slowly. "I… I couldn't do anything to help. I don't deserve to be his friend."

Meg gritted her teeth in frustration before turning around and slapping Kazuto hard in the face, surprising everyone.

"Don't you dare say something like that!" Meg practically shouted. "You're my brother's best friend and his Driver. Pneuma told us that a Driver and Blade are one in body and soul. When Frank and I lost our parents when we were kids, _you _were the one who helped him through it. _You _were the one who protected him in SAO and you were the one who managed to break through to Marth when he first used Dragon Soul. You two can't just abandon each other after all that!"

Asuna was actually shocked at hearing the first part of Meg's statement. She knew that Frank and Meg weren't native to Japan, but she never knew that they had lost their birth parents when they were children.

_"Just how much do I know about Marth?" _she questioned in her head.

Kazuto just stood there, wide-eyed, ignoring the stinging pain on his cheek. He found himself staring at Lunara and began thinking about his first meeting with Frank.

**Flashback- Ten years ago**

A young Kazuto was sitting on a bench in the school's courtyard. It was lunch time, but he wasn't sitting with anyone. He had recently found out that he was actually Suguha's cousin and was distancing himself from her.

_"I don't think anyone can understand me," _Kazuto thought.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a brown-haired boy sitting under a tree. It was the new kid, Frank Storm, who was actually from America. Kazuto had actually heard rumors that Frank was an orphan and been taken in by couple here in Tokyo. Some kids actually picked on him because of his nationality and his struggle with the Japanese language. However there was also another rumor that he healed from injuries rather quickly, but Kazuto passed that off as nonsense. It wouldn't be until a few months later that he would know the last rumor was actually true.

Like Kazuto, Frank hardly interacted with the other students, but what was surprising was that he hardly interacted with his sister, Meg, who was going through similar issues. It shouldn't be any of Kazuto's business on what Frank was going through, but for some reason, he found himself feeling drawn to the boy.

"Oh what the heck."

Kazuto gathered his lunch and went over to young American.

"What do you want?" Frank said emotionlessly, and in surprisingly decent Japanese but with an American accent, not bothering to look up. He had an open lunchbox that had a sandwich and a peach in it, along with a bottle of water.

The coldness did catch Kazuto off-guard, but he maintained his ground.

"Hi, I'm Kazuto Kirigaya. And you are?"

"Frank Storm. Are you gonna pick on me too?"

Suddenly Kazuto had a vision of him being in a ruined alley during a rainy night. He looked to be in his late teens and was wearing a black overcoat, pants, fingerless gloves and boots. He also had a black sword and a blue sword strapped to his back in black scabbards.

Kazuto was standing in front of a young man with brown hair and red eyes, who looked to be around his age. The young man was sitting down and was wearing a black and white overcoat, a silver chestplate, black pants and boots, as well as white fingerless gloves. He also had a sword strapped to his back.

Kazuto couldn't understand the words he was saying to the male teen, but he seemed to be comforting him and that the young man's name was apparently Zane. Kazuto then found himself reaching his hand out to Zane, who looked up before slowly reaching back with his own.

The vision ended, leaving Kazuto speechless.

_"Wh-what was that about?"_ Kazuto thought to himself. For some reason, he felt an overwhelming desire to help the young boy in front of him.

"You're not the only one here who lost their parents," Kazuto said suddenly. "I… I lost mine when I was a baby. Maybe we can help each other out?"

Kazuto extended his hand, causing Frank to look up in surprise. Frank had felt alone ever since he lost his parents. Deep down, he knew he still had Meg, but the grief was making it hard for to reach out for her. Frank eyed Kazuto's hand hesitantly, as if wondering if this was a trick. However, Kazuto's eyes were filled with nothing but sincerity. Frank then saw the same vision Kazuto had seen, which somehow made him feel he could trust him. Slowly but surely, Frank raised his hand and accepted Kazuto's hand.

**Present Day**

_"Meg's right," _Kazuto thought to himself as he closed his eyes. _"I've always been there for Frank, just like he was there for me. I won't let this stop me!"_

Kazuto tightened his grip on Lunara and opened his eyes, which were filled with determination. "I am the Driver of the Silver Aegis. I have stood by my best friend's side for years. No matter what happens, or where we are, that will never change. I will help Frank through this, because that's what partners do!"

All the girls couldn't help but smile, especially Asuna.

"That's the spirit, Kazuto," Suguha said with pride. "I know you can do this."

"Thanks, Sugu. Asuna, I'll need your help too. You might be the only one who can calm him down if he ever freaks out again. I know you might not want to be near me since we broke up, but right now, Frank needs us. Will you help me?"

Asuna was silent for a moment before eyeing the sleeping Frank. "Of course I will. Marth means a lot to me. There's no way I will abandon him, especially now. Plus, I was the one who managed to get him moving, so you'd be useless without me."

Everyone burst out laughing from the last comment. After about an hour or so, Frank did wake up, shocking everyone that his eyes were now a sapphire blue, just like his ALO avatar. Frank was shocked as well. He tried to revert back to his regular appearance, but his hair and eyes refused to change.

"What the hell? Why won't this work?" Frank questioned.

"Maybe it's because of your Core Crystal," Kazuto guessed. Lunara had since been dismissed once its master had woken up. "Since you merged with it in Alfheim, it might have slowly changed your real-life appearance to match your ALO avatar."

Frank let out a heavy sigh. "Oh well. At least I didn't get the pointed ears. Anyway, I'm sorry about what happened earlier. I hope I didn't hurt any of you."

"It's okay, Marth," Asuna replied as she took Frank's hand, which caught Kazuto's attention. "We're here for you. Whatever problems you're going through, we'll help you, especially me."

Frank found himself cracking a light smile. "Thank you, Asuna."

The Lightning Flash smiled as well before giving the Aegis a quick peck on the cheek, which comically left him flustered. Since it was getting late, the group went downstairs, where Asuna decided to fix them all some dinner.

"Hey Asuna," Meg said suddenly as she helped the Undine player cook in the kitchen, "Are your parents okay with you being out this late? I mean, I appreciate your help but I'm worried if it'll get you in trouble."

"My mother might not approve, especially with me hanging around Marth, but my father is really understanding," Asuna replied. "As long as I let them know I'm alright, it should be fine."

Asuna didn't really want to talk about her mother since she did not approve of either Kazuto or Frank. After the Demon War, her mother wanted Asuna to cut ties with Frank since she saw him as a threat, but Asuna stood her ground, refusing to allow her mother to villainize a person she cared about.

"Hey Asuna, can I talk to you for a bit?"

Asuna turned around and saw that it was Kazuto. She told Meg that she'd be back in a minute and followed Kazuto into the hallway.

"What is it, Kirito?" Asuna asked curiously, trying her best not to get her hopes up of him wanting to get back together with her.

"I'm just wondering, do you… have feelings for Frank?" Kazuto said slowly. His tone had a hint of nervousness in it.

Asuna naturally reeled back in surprise while trying to fight off a blush. "No. Why would you think that?" But even as she said that, she found herself doubting her own words and eyed the ground.

Kazuto could see through it too. "Well, you've been acting differently around him for a while now. If you do have feelings for him and you're ashamed about it because of me, don't. If anything, I'd actually be glad if you did, because I know Frank would never hurt you."

Asuna found herself feeling conflicted. Her ex-boyfriend just gave her permission to date his best friend. The wounds from their break-up were still fresh in her heart and she knew she still had feelings for Kazuto, however she couldn't deny that she found her heart racing whenever she thought about Frank.

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" Asuna questioned.

"Of course," Kazuto said with a smile. "Just because things didn't work out for us doesn't mean we shouldn't try again with different people. Although, it will be hard to break this to Yui."

"Yeah," Asuna agreed as she thought about her AI daughter. "Hey, if you ever need help with your own issues, you can always come to me for help. We're still friends, right?"

"Sure we are," Kazuto agreed. "Plus we've got Sinon and the Alfheim Warriors. Come to think of it, Sinon might be really helpful since she went through a similar trauma with guns."

"My, my, Kirito," Asuna said smugly. "Do you have a crush on our favorite sniper?"

This time it was the Black Swordsman who was embarrassed as he tried, and failed, to hide his blush. "N-no. I-I just think she's a good friend. I mean… sure Sinon's a little cute, but just think of her as a friend. Honest."

Asuna simply giggled. From how the conversation was going, it was clear that she and Kazuto weren't getting back together anytime soon, but if Kazuto wanted to pursue a relationship with another girl, who was she to get in his way.

"It's okay, Kirito," Asuna said with a smile. "I think Sinon would be a good match for you. Plus I did ask her to support you in my stead so it all works out."

"Uh, really?" Kazuto said nervously.

"Really. Now if you excuse me, I need to finish making dinner."

Kazuto watched as Asuna went back into the kitchen. He noticed that his partner was outside, so he went out to join him. Frank had changed into Marth (ALO form), but his swords were missing. He seemed to looking up at the starry night sky.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Marth questioned, not needing to turn around as he sensed his partner approach him.

"Yeah," Kazuto agreed. "It almost makes all the fighting worth it." A thought then came to mind, one that he felt needed to be answered. "Hey Marth, what exactly happened back at the Shadow Fortress? Where did that power come from?"

Marth turned to face his Driver and said, "I don't know. Zarc's attack did make my emotions run wild, but I don't think it alone caused me to snap like that. Right after Dark Siren's attack, I heard a voice in my head. I don't know who it was, but they were angry at what Zarc had done." Marth stared at his right hand. "I… I think the voice was trying to take over me, but because of my emotional state and me fighting it, that's what caused my powers to run out of control."

"I see," Kazuto said. "Have you heard that voice before?"

"I think I did in a dream once. It was right when I blacked out after Zarc summoned the Shadow Fortress. The thing is, I can't really remember what the person looked like."

"Well that's not good. Has the voice come back at all since Demon War ended?"

Marth shook his head. "No. I haven't heard it at all since Zarc's defeat. But it does concern me. What if the voice tries to possess me again? What if it causes me to reduce Tokyo to rubble?"

"I won't let that happen!" Kazuto declared as he placed his hand on Marth's shoulder. "That voice caught us off-guard last time. If it ever decides to come back, we'll be ready. We'll find out what it wants, and if it's a threat, we stop it. We'll never allow a tragedy like this to happen again."

"Yeah. I'll be counting on you, partner."

"Don't worry, Marth," Kazuto said confidently. "I've got your back, just like how you've got mine."

**To be continued**

* * *

**Sorry for the late update, Black Wolf and real life got in the way. Anyway, looks like Marth hasn't recovered as much everyone thought. By the way, his and Meg's backstory about losing their parents is part of the Dark Swordsman canon, but it was something I added on later. How Marth and Kirito first met is also part of the canon too. With all that out of the way, I'll see you guys in the next chapter!**


End file.
